URGENT: Can Monarch Chrysalises be moved?

CavilerNovember 24, 2013

Hey All,

We are having typical; flip flop south Louisiana weather which is causing havoc amongst my hatching Monarchs. They get keyed up to hatch on a warm, sunny day and by the next, when they are hatching, it is very cold and windy w/ or w/o rain. Can I detach their chrysalises and somehow attach them to something else so I can bring them inside? I've already had to mercy kill 3 Monarchs who hatched and couldn't get their wings dried even remotely strait. HATE doing that. So, methods to reattach? URGENT!

Hi, what are they attached to? If a branch, you can take part of the branch with the chrysalis and tape it onto another branch. If it's attached to something that can't be moved, you can clip it off at the top of the silk pad (where it's attached to something) and put it in a small bowl lined with some soft fabric, like a satin slip. I make sure it's cradled softly with no pressure on it anywhere, and upright. Then just put a stem or something else near it but not touching it at all, so that after emerging it will see it and climb onto it to dry off.

On the mercy kills you had to do, could you have brought them inside to dry off? Good luck with them!

When I rear them in plastic tubs they usually attach to the lid even if branches are provided. I use thread to remove them and reattach them to a large fabric hamper so I can clean and reuse the plastic container for the next batch.

You just tie a piece of thread around the cremaster, knot it gently, and then gently pull or tease it off whatever it is attached to leaving the silk intact. Then you can sort of twist the silk around the thread/cremaster to help it stay put. Then you can tie an extra knot in the thread loop to hang it or just tape it somewhere. I use ball head sewing pins to attach them to the fabric hamper making sure the sharp point is on the outside. Here are some links with info about this method below. One even tells about using glue if the cremaster breaks. I have heard they will emerge fine not hanging if well formed already, but I prefer to hang them for their comfort :)